Santorum is Gone: Gay Community Breathes Sigh of Relief

Rick Santorum has dropped out of the presidential race, and good riddance.

This is the man who has vowed to 'turn back the clock' on all progress towards equality, including reinstating Don't Ask Don't Tell and a federal ban on same-sex marriage. Routinely throughout his career Santorum has made absurd homophobic comments such as insinuating that same-sex marriage would be the same as legalizing bestiality, and that a convict would be a better father than a gay man. This type of backward thinking is not the type that the American people should want in the Oval Office or in government for that matter. His backing by the conservative extremist evangelicals has failed, and they are now without a front-man to represent their archaic beliefs.

While the alternative presumed candidate, Mitt Romney, has also vowed to repeal all progress for the gay community, he once did claim to be a stronger supporter of gay rights than Ted Kennedy. Also, lest we forget, he was the first governor to write same-sex marriage into law in Massachusetts. While his flip flopping has possibly landed him the Republican seat, to have him in office would not be nearly as crippling to America's human rights reputation as a President Santorum. Romney's history should represent a shred of optimism if he manages to beat Obama.

In the end, hopefully we will see four more years of "evolving" views on gay rights from President Obama when he does not have to worry about being reelected. Still, let us all breathe a sigh of relief that a tired homophobe is kept out of the White House.